MINE ALL MINE!

Before going to Home Depot this morning, I stopped in to pick up Weezer's latest release the "red" album. I also picked up a cheap remastered edition of "Van Halen I", their very first release. I listened to it on the way home and was impressed with what a great album it is, featuring some of their most memorable classics, many of which were old standards played at virtually all their concerts. Runnin' With The Devil. Eruption. You Really Got me. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love. Jamies Cryin'. Atomic Punk. Feel Your Love Tonight. Little Dreamer. Ice Cream Man. With the release of this album Van Halen came screaming onto the music scene (February 10, 1978) with a knock-out punch! It was this album that I heard being played in Randall, Washington, my introduction to the band.

I really like the Sammy era song "Mine All Mine", the first song they recorded for the OU812 album. It's a really rockin' tune that gets me pumped and hits an emotional nerve. You listen and judge for yourself. The Van Halen Encyclopedia says its an antidrug song , about fulfilling your future without letting drugs get in the way. But Sammy puts it this way in last nights A.F.U. show: "It's about yourself. You can't trust friends sometimes, you can't trust government officials, but you can trust yourself. You can trust yourself, trust your family."

In terms of lyrics, the Sammy era tunes are absolutely wordy and with substance when compared to the writing of David Lee Roth. Sammy was very thoughtful, while Dave was more interested in how it sounded in the end, and if there was a theme to his lyrics, it generally revolved around women. That's one of the big differences between the two lead vocalists.

Mine All Mine

Ow! Forgive me father, for I have sinned
I've been through hell and back again
I shook hands with the devil
Looked 'im in the eye
Looked like a long lost friend

Ow-ah, anything you want, any dirty deeds
He's got everything 'cept what I really need
Keepin' me temporarily satisfied
But not one thing I've tried
Filled me up inside or felt like mine
Mine all mine

Yeah, the search goes on
The more I look, my world keeps gettin' smaller
Staring at the sun, searchin' for the light
Almost ended up blind
Some only see what they wanna see
Claiming victory, oh but that's not me
Gimme truth, gimme somethin' real
I just wanna feel like it's mine all mine

(Ooh-ooo-ooh)
Ooh-oo-ooh, really mine
(Mine all mine)
Come on, 'n gimme somethin'
(Ooh-oo-ooh)
Somethin', that's mine all mine all mine

(Guitar Solo)

Mine all mine

All the words on the wall look the same in the mirror
Every riddle and every clue
Ow, you've got Allah in the east
You've got Jesus in the west
Christ, what's a man to do?

They'll find a cure for anything
Just kill the pain or numb my brain
We see a man speakin' the word of God
Provin' to be a fraud, his own church applauds
Stop lookin' out, start lookin' in
Be your own best friend
Stand up and say "Hey! This is mine!"

(Ooh-oo-ooh)
Ooh, all mine
(Mine all mine)
Yeah'N baby you've got somethin'
(Ooh-oo-ooh)
Uh! An', and I got somethin'
(Mine all mine)
Hey, and it's mine all mine all mine

Uh!
(Mine all mine)
Ooooh!
(Mine all mine)
Yes, I'm searchin'
(Mine all mine)
Uh-I got to have it
(Mine all mine)
Oooh ow!
(Mine all mine)
Well
(Mine all mine)
Got ta, got ta, got to
(Mine all mine)
Got to have it. Ow!
(Mine all mine)
Uh! Uh! Uh!
(Mine all mine)
You got! You got! You got! You got!
Mine all mine